1) Field of the Invention
The invention herein relates to fork and wedge-type rail connector consisting of a fork-shaped primary element and a wedge-shaped secondary element, with the two elements interlocked together and secured by two bolts fastened between them. After fastening is completed, bolts or mounting hooked clasps (or rings) are utilized to mount the fork-shaped primary element conjoinment section on a pre-stressed concrete tie, with the wedge-shaped secondary element remaining unmounted to allow free railway expansion and contraction. Due to the use of such an interlocking connection structure, excessive noise, vibrations, and rail bending does not result due to moving vehicular wheel pressure.
2) Description of the Prior Art
The conventional method of connecting railway tracks involves the placement of two steel plates to clamp the two sides of the rails and then installing four to six bolts for mounting purposes. The advantages of this construction method are rapidity and low cost, but the disadvantage is that high noise levels are generated as train wheels press on the intervals between rail sections and, similar to the pulsation caused by uneven highway road surfaces, vehicle vibration results. In modern railway construction, many lengthy sections of rail are welded together to assemble a single track to minimize to the number of intervals. Although this reduces the frequency of produced noise and vibration considerably, and railway vehicle cruising is smoother, the method of construction is slower than the conventional approach and, furthermore, causes people to overlook the problem of total vibrational effects.
Metal is among the most excellent conductors of shock waves and since rails are constructed of iron, they have excellent flexibility and as a result, in addition to being capable of transmitting shock waves, are quite susceptible to induced vibrational effects. Vibrational effects are correlated with vehicle weight, speed, rail length, the frequency of vibration produced by the vehicle itself, and other cumulatively proportional factors, with rail length being the major factor. As for similarities of iron and refined steel rails) iron rails resonate easily (and this become easier as the length is increased, with the only difference being a difference in frequency). Refined steel rails are virtually impossible to resonate (regardless of length). This is because the structure of an iron rail is entirely devoid of intervals (the same applies to railway tracks), while a length of refined steel rail has countless intervals (refined steel railway is formed through innumerable links or bonds). As such, shock waves are readily transmitted in an iron rail and, furthermore, resonation is produced, but this is very difficult in refined steel, with the reason being the quantity of xe2x80x9cintervalsxe2x80x9d (links). Since the number of xe2x80x9cintervalsxe2x80x9d (links) of railway rails affects rolling stock transportation safety and comfort (including environmental protection), improvement is necessary.
The invention herein is an important transportation tool for railway vehicle transport in the 21st century (because it has safety, comfort, and environmental protection features) and is capable of effectively solving the shortcomings of existent railway construction methods, with the new structure of the present invention developed through extensive research based on reference materials collected during several decades of study.
Therefore, the primary objective of the invention herein is to provide a fork and wedge-type rail connector that utilizes a fork-shaped primary element and a wedge-shaped secondary element that are interlocked together to connect rails and then installed on pre-stressed concrete ties. In the structure, one of the ends of a number of clamping pieces is fitted into insets to clamp down the primary element and the other end is anchored by means of a bolt such that the clamping pieces, mounting plates, and pre-stressed concrete tie are bolted together, the utilization of which eliminates the noise and vibration produced due to the pressure of the rolling stock wheels on intervals between rail sections and thereby features the practical values of environmental compliance and safety.
To enable the examination committee to further understand the structure, innovations, and function of the invention herein, the brief description of the drawings below are followed by the detailed description of the preferred embodiments.